Comprehensive car safety features list

When shopping for a car, consumers may notice that many dealers and online sources provide information on certain vehicle safety features. However, they may find themselves asking, “What do these elaborate safety terms mean?” This is a common question that confronts many car buyers.

In order to help you get a better understanding of what these terms mean, and to help you optimize the safety features of your car, here’s a comprehensive, easy-to-understand car safety features list.

• Active braking systems – Car brakes on its own in order to prevent imminent crash.

• Adaptive/autonomous cruise control – Maintains a safe distance between your car and the car in front of you by controlling distance and speed in relation to the preceding vehicle.

• Adaptive headlamps – Headlights that adjust the direction and range of light beams to coincide with driving patterns, maximizing visibility without blinding other drivers.

• Anti-lock braking system (ABS) – Controls skidding or sliding of your car by preventing wheels from locking-up, or ceasing motion. Varied brake pressure is applied to allow wheels to gain back traction with the road while continuing to brake.

• Anti-roll/stabilizer bars – This function balances the weight of the car to provide better control and handling during turns.

• Automated parking system – The ability of a car to parallel or angle-park automatically, using sensory and motion detectors.

• Blind spot warning system – Assists drivers in effectively managing blind spots by detecting the distance to and speed of objects in neighboring lanes, and alerts drivers of possible collision when changing lanes.

• Chassis control – Assists control of everyday car functions like braking, steering, and suspension to improve safety and comfort while driving.

• Curtain airbags – Airbags that deploy from the ceiling and upper-sides of the car to protect passengers’ heads in event of a crash. Most effective in the case of rollover crashes.

• Deformation zones – Features of the car purposed to deform in a way that absorbs the impact energy of a crash in order to protect the driver and passengers.

• Driver attention detection – If there are recognizable signs of drowsiness or difficulty paying attention in the driver, these systems can detect those signs and either take control of the vehicle or warn drivers of their inability to pay attention.

• Electronic stability control – Vehicle applies automatic brake pressure to individual wheels to steer the car in the event that the driver loses control, guiding the car back on to its intended path.

• Fog lamps – Headlights that are shaped with the ability to provide enhanced visual clarity in times of low visibility − like fog, heavy rain or snow.

• Forward collision warning – Detects a possible crash, and gives drivers warning of takes automatic action to avoid the collision. Also known as a pre-crash safety system.

• Front airbags – Airbags located in the steering wheel or dashboard region that function to prevent severe impact of passengers with the front of the car.

• Good visibility from the driver’s seat – Ample window and mirror visibility for the driver.

• Head restraints – Head rests in both front and back seats of the car provide proper head support in order to prevent passenger whiplash.

• Head-up display – Car display functions that can be seen by the driver without having to lower their eyes from the road. Typically projected onto the windshield or visor so the driver can easily view them.

• Passenger safety cell – Functional strengthening and stiffening of the space around the passenger seating areas in order to help absorb the impact of a crash, and provide extra protection for passengers.

• Reversing camera – Provides a camera image of potential blind spots behind the vehicle in order to assist driver visibility when reversing.

• Seat belt pretensioner – Provides automatic response to body motion with tightening and loosening of seat belts to protect occupants from harsh movements in the event of a crash.

• Thorax airbags with head detection – Protect both head and body in a crash. Most effective for side impact crashes.

• Three-point seat belts – Both in the back and front seats of a car, seat belts with three points (extending from the shoulder to both sides of the waist), aim to provide more support than two-point belts (only extending over the lap).